ZAGREB, March 6, 2020 - The first informal meeting of European Foreign Affairs Ministers during Croatia's presidency of the Council of the EU was held on Thursday in Lužnica Castle, some 20 kilometres west of Zagreb, with the main topic of discussion being the migrant crisis and relations with Turkey and with Russia.

The meeting of foreign affairs ministers from the Member States of the European Union is also known as Gymnich. It received that name from the first meeting in that format held at Schloss Gymnich in Erftstadt, Germany in 1974.

"Today we will meet in a very narrow format, just the foreign ministers, to discuss the current situation and topics related to relations between the European Union and Russia and with Turkey, as well as the situation related to our current migrant crisis with refugees in Syria," Croatia's Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said ahead of the meeting.

"It will certainly be interesting. The EU has a responsibility as the leading organisation of countries in the world that respects human rights and international law."

Previously Gymnich meetings included candidates for membership to the EU, which is not the case this time and Grlić Radman revealed that that decision was made by the Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission Josep Borrell, "so we can more efficiently discuss the most important topics."

Ahead of the meeting Borrell underscored that Europe in Syria is not a fighter but a humanitarian.

Borrell supported the creation of a safe zone in northern Syria after an escalation of the conflict has displaced another million people.

Dutch Minister Stef Blok also said that he hopes a zone like that will result in agreement within the UN Security Council.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 4, 2020 - The EU's credibility depends on the European Council's decision in March and on the date for opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, an inter-parliamentary conference in Zagreb agreed on Tuesday.

Blocking the opening of negotiations for these two aspirants in October last year, "seriously shook the Union's credibility in the Western Balkans," said MEP Tonino Picula, (SDP/S&D), who is the rapporteur for the Western Balkans and member of the European Parliament's (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee, at the meeting on the European prospects for Balkan countries.

Picula believes that the European Council has to give the green light to Balkan countries at the end of this months because that will "show the EU's credibility." "Enlargement means removing the black hole in the heart of Europe," said MEP Željana Zovko (HDZ/EPP) and a member of the EP's foreign affairs committee.

Zovko said that the "Zagreb summit in May should provide an impetus for EU enlargement." She believes that it is in Croatia's interest to move the Union's borders and that "a new voice of Europe is necessary, a voice that is not selfish and one that cares for European interests."

Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, the Director for Western Balkans at the Directorate General for European Neighbourhood Policy, said that the Union's executive body wishes to revive the process of enlargement which has left its mark on the credibility of European institutions.

I am absolutely optimistic and convinced that we will open negotiations with the two Balkan countries, Calavera said. The EU's credibility depends on that decision, she added.

In February the European Commission released a new methodology for enlargement and Calavera recalled that drawing closer to the Union is primarily based on merits.

The revised methodology is one thing while assessing a country's progress is another matter, she underscored.

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are still waiting to be given candidate status. North Macedonia and Albania are waiting for accession negotiations to be opened while Serbia and Montenegro are in the process of those negotiations and can decide for themselves if they wish the new methodology to apply to them.

We are all pleased with a common European future but we wish everyone to adhere to the same values and rules, Dutch MEP Sven Koopmans said.

He believes that there is some doubt about the rule of law in those countries, which sometimes is not respected in some EU members at that.

Belgian MEP Mark Demesmaeker believes that if those countries regress the process should be stopped.

MEP Nathalie Loiseau from France, which was in October outspokenly critical of Europe's enlargement in the near future, said that one should not speak of enlargement but of consolidation with the inclusion Western Balkan countries which she described as European countries.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 1, 2020 - European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, the chief European official in charge of the migration issue, asked Croatia on Sunday to convene an urgent meeting of EU interior ministers after Turkey opened its borders for migrants who want to reach Europe.

In a post on Twitter, Schinas said he contacted Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović "to request that EU Home Affairs Ministers meet urgently in an extraordinary JHA Council."

Croatia is currently presiding the Council of the European Union.

Schinas added that he was in ongoing consultations with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, Feb 28, 2020 - Croatian Economy Minister Darko Horvat chaired a meeting of the Competitiveness Council in Brussels on Thursday for the first time, as part of Croatia's presidency of the Council of the EU, which discussed matters of immediate importance for the EU economy, the ministry said in a press release.

Commissioner Thierry Breton reported on the impact of coronavirus on the EU economy and the measures that have been taken. He underlined how important it is that the Commission and the member states continue to exchange information and coordinate action at both EU and national levels in order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and limit its impact on the economy.

Also discussed was the European Green Deal, the switch to a circular economy and the Union's ambition to become the first self-sufficient continent by 2050.

"Without a modern industry, it won't be possible to reshape our society for a sustainable, climate neutral and digital future. That's why we need considerable investment in all of Europe, and it's crucial that we continue to promote new forms of cooperation with industry and put special emphasis on investment in strategic value chains," said Horvat.

Also discussed were the findings of a report on the effectiveness of the single market, and the Council unanimously adopted conclusions on better regulations.

Horvat underlined the importance of better regulations in removing administrative barriers for businesses and facilitating doing business in all of the EU, as well as of including the interested public in the legislative process with a view to ensuring sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

The informal part of the meeting discussed artificial intelligence.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 26, 2020 - The Croatian presidency of the Council of the EU on Tuesday rejected a request by leaders of several political groups in the European Parliament to take part in the Council's discussion on violations of European values in Hungary and Poland, recommending informal consultations on the issue, as has been the case so far.

The leaders of the S&D (Socialists and Democrats), EPP Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats), Renew Europe, the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance expressed dissatisfaction with the slowness of the Article 7 procedure for Hungary and Poland.

Andrea Metelko Zgombić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs who chaired a General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, said that the Presidency took note of the letter in which they expressed dissatisfaction.

The letter expressed dissatisfaction on the part of some of the members of the European Parliament with the previous Finnish presidency and presidencies before it because Parliament wants a greater and stronger role in the Article 7 procedure. However, it was agreed that MEPs cannot participate in meetings of the Council of the EU as that might cause a disbalance between the European institutions, according to Metelko- Zgombić.

The conclusions on non-attendance of MEPs at Council meetings were adopted by all member states during the Finnish presidency in the second half of 2019.

After discussions on the issue of Hungary, the Finnish presidency organised an informal meeting with representatives of the European Parliament, and the Croatian presidency plans to do the same after a discussion on Article 7 in March.

During the Finnish presidency, the member states adopted specific rules on how the institutions can participate in that matter.

The Croatian presidency will be in contact with the EP and will exchange necessary information at informal meetings "because that is in our mutual interest," Metelko Zgombić said.

Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union is a procedure provided for by the treaties of the European Union to suspend certain rights of a member state. It is a sort of infringement procedure used against member states that have violated fundamental rights.

In 2017, the European Commission initiated the procedure against Poland criticising it for its judicial reform.

In 2018, the European Parliament initiated the same procedure against Hungary over its disrespect for media freedoms, attacks on civil society associations and violations of human rights of minorities and migrants.

At its meeting today, the General Affairs Council exchanged views on future relations with the UK and adopted a negotiating mandate for the upcoming talks.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 24, 2020 - Croatia's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said on Monday in Greece that the EU had to show its unequivocal commitment to the European future of Southeast Europe, expressing his belief that the Zagreb summit in May will serve as a "a pivotal point for positive changes."

"The European Union has to send a clear signal that we remain committed to the European future of Southeast Europe," Grlić Radman said on the margins of a high-level day-long conference on the European prospects of the Western Balkans "From Thessaloniki to Zagreb," which was held in that Greek coastal city.

Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, which is currently holding the presidency of the EU, will host the EU-Western Balkans summit in early May. The first gathering of a similar format, called the EU-Western Balkans Summit, was held 21 June 2003 in Thessaloniki.

Grlić Radman, recalled that Croatia had applied for membership to the Union in 2003 during the Greece presidency of the Council of the EU and thanked Greece for its "lasting and strong support to European enlargement."

The Croatian minister believes that the summit in Zagreb in May will "serve as a pivotal point for positive change and decision-making in the enlargement policy," and hopes that accession negotiations will be opened for North Macedonia and Albania which were blocked in October.

He described the new methodology proposed by the European Commission announced early February as a "good and positive step," and added that Croatia will continue to advocate a "credible and efficient policy of enlargement based on merits and fulfilment of all criteria."

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 24, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who arrived in London on Sunday evening, said that in the next several months the European Union would try to reach agreement with Great Britain on the future relations, however, he admitted his scepticism about finding a compromise in such a short period of time.

"We in the European Union will try in the next ten months to reach a compromise with Great Britain, which could lay down the foundations for the first contractual relations, thus facilitating the business and trade exchange, and the rights of British citizens in the EU and the rights of EU citizens in Great Britain," Plenković said in the Croatian embassy in London where he met with Croatian citizens living in the U.K.

"Being the current chair of the Council of the European Union, Croatia will give its contribution," he underscored and recalled that the negotiations between the EU and some third country usually take some time.

If the negotiations (on future relations) are completed in the next ten months, this will be a precedent in the sense of efficiency, Plenković said.

The Croatian premier arrived in London to attend a meeting which the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) scheduled for Monday to discuss plans for investments for the Western Balkans.

The bank says on its website that "the aim of the summit is to highlight potential investment and business opportunities in the Western Balkans region and to promote regional projects." This is the fourth EBRD summit of its kind. The inaugural Western Balkans Summit took place at the EBRD in February 2014 and, for the first time, brought together all six of the region’s prime ministers.

The meeting will be opened by EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti and the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, in his current position as holder of the European Union presidency, the EBRD says on its website.

Plenković said in his address in the Croatian embassy in London that he and Finance Minister Zdravko Marić would meet potential investors to notify them of the macroeconomic state of affairs and the current Croatian cabinet's achievements in the financial and economic sector: including the restoration of the confidence of two international credit rating agencies in Croatia, the reduction of the country's public debt, a well-balanced budget, a sound growth, and more favourable interest rates for the enterprise sector and for citizens.

Commenting on the relations between Croatia and Great Britain following Brexit, Plenković said that his country would try to develop economic cooperation, and called on prominent Croats in the business sector, in scientific and artistic domains in the U.K. to give their contribution, too.

He praised them for being "an important part of the mosaic" in building the relations between the two countries.

During his stay in London, Plenković will also meet British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

More news about relations between Croatia and the UK can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 22, 2020 - EU member states will have to put in an extra effort to reach a compromise on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and at this summit the time was not ripe for that, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Brussels on Friday evening.

The leaders of the 27 member states failed in their first attempt to reach an agreement on the EU budget for the 2021-2027 period because the differences in views between rich net contributors and poorer net beneficiaries were too big.

"We will have to invest an additional effort to reach a compromise, and today wasn't the time for that. From Croatia's point of view, we can be satisfied because we managed to include our special status in the negotiating framework and that is that we are the only country that has used only one seven-year budget. We also managed to include the issue of depopulation and demographic revitalisation, which has never before been in the negotiating box," Plenković said after the extraordinary summit.

The proposal drawn up by European Council President Charles Michel provides for an additional allocation for countries that have used only one seven-year budget, and only Croatia fits this definition. Additional funding is also envisaged for countries that have recorded considerable population losses due to emigration.

"Our colleagues look at this effort on our part as if we, colloquially speaking, put a foot in the door. This is our position now. However, we all will still have to do a lot of work to reach a comprehensive compromise," the Croatian PM said.

He could not predict when a new summit would be convened to try to reach an agreement on the MFF.

"If we were to meet next week, I'm afraid we would still be in the same positions as we are today. We will have to find a way to bring our positions closer together, see when the time is ripe and then meet again," Plenković said.

"The position of most of the countries is quite clear and no one has anything against respecting the rule of law, and any serious violations of the rule of law require a response. The key in this debate is not to leave too much space to arbitrariness but to say precisely what that refers to," he added.

The majority of the summit, convened to reach a compromise on the 2021-2027 MFF, passed in bilateral meetings, while a plenary session had been delayed throughout the day.

After a full two days of talks a new proposal was put on the table that the next seven-year budget should be 1.069 percent of the gross national income, but it did not receive leaders' support. The amount is slightly lower than 1.074 percent proposed by European Council President Michel.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 21, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković would not say on Friday morning whether the ongoing EU summit would result in a compromise on the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

The extraordinary summit, which began on Thursday afternoon in Brussels, continued for several hours until late Thursday evening and resumed on Friday morning.

On Thursday afternoon, European Council President Charles Michel held a series of bilateral meetings with heads of state or government of the 27 EU member states.

Commenting on his talks with Michel, Plenković said that he had highlighted the matters important for Croatia, such as cohesion policy and demographic revitalisation.

"We have tried to see to it that the final agreement brings about as good results as possible for Croatia" Plenković said.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose country is among those calling for cuts to the EU budget, said on Friday morning she did not believe EU member states would reach an agreement on the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) this weekend.

We are still negotiating. Our position is clear. I am prepared to stay the whole weekend, but it is likely that a new extraordinary summit will be needed, Frederiksen said ahead of the second day of the extraordinary summit on the MFF. She added that she was not sure when the next summit could be convened.

Denmark, Austria, Sweden and The Netherlands, dubbed the frugal four, insist that allocations to the new EU budget should not exceed one percent of the Gross National Income.

More news about Croatia and EU funds can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 18, 2020 - Croatian People's Party (HNS) leader Ivan Vrdoljak on Tuesday condemned an announcement by Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban that "the alliance against the European Union will include Croatia too," and called on PM Andrej Plenković and President Zoran Milanović to "stand in defence of a pro-European Croatia."

Vrdoljak said in a press release that "extremists, nationalists and populists like Orban want to drag the EU and Croatia backwards," to violations of the fundamental principles of democracy, rule of law, freedom of the press and human rights.

As a liberal party that advocates a pro-European, open and tolerant Croatia, the HNS condemns Orban's announcement that the "alliance against the EU will include Croatia too."

"We no longer have the right to remain silent and passively observe initiatives that directly threaten the freedom of each one of us, the freedom of all EU citizens," the press release said. It is up to the liberals to stand up in defence of common values - from freedom to humanity.

Vrdoljak called on Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and President Zoran Milanović and other political stakeholders in Croatia to take a clear stand on Orban's initiative and to stand in defence of a modern and pro-European Croatia.

Underscoring that a united Europe with its democratic and economic standards is a good place for its population to live and work in, the HNS wants to say that anyone that works against it is working in the interest of others and not Europeans.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.